So Much More Sci Fi
by purrpickle
Summary: Claudia has not figured out H.G. Wells. At all. Then H.G. asks for an unnamed favor, promising one in return. Pretty quickly Claudia, while discovering more about H.G. than she ever wanted, helps Myka and H.G. discover each other. H.G./Myka femslash.
1. Chapter 1

Title: So Much More Sci Fi _or_ The Curious Tale of Claudia Donovan (and How She Became a Total Lesbian Matchmaker) - Just kidding, but wouldn't that be an _awesome _title?

Full summary: H.G. Wells is a mysterious woman, one Claudia still hasn't figured out completely. Then H.G. asks for an unnamed favor, and Claudia accepts because, hey, she'll be getting a favor in return. Pretty quickly, though, Claudia finds herself getting to know H.G. Wells more than she had ever planned to... And helps Myka and H.G. discover each other along the way as an added bonus. Takes place after Where and When, and before Buried (unless I decide to write it through Reset).

AN: I do not own Warehouse 13 nor the characters. This is a totally new fandom for me (I started writing this after Buried and before Reset, so before Reset Redux and How Very Empty), and I'm still getting a handle on the characters. Fortunately, the lovely stargate_sg1sg1 has been doing quality control and character checks for me. Much appreciated. :} Oh, this is also a new thing for me to have the story 'voiced' from someone _not_ part of the main coupling. You'll see what I mean. One last thing to note is that this is also a different writing style for me, due to the wonderful body language all of the actors use in W13. I just couldn't ignore that.

* * *

Claudia walked into the library to find H.G. Wells sitting in one of the armchairs. The out-of-time traveler looked up and nodded at her, then went back to reading, her dark eyes seemingly focused on the book. Pausing in the doorway, Claudia wondered if she should come back at a later time.

"I see I still make you nervous," H.G.'s smoky voice lilted out as the author turned the page in her book, "I was under the impression we had worked through our differences."

"Differences?" Claudia blurted out before she could stop herself, chastising herself as soon as the question slipped out.

One corner of H.G.'s mouth turned up, and the woman straightened, closing her book with a fast clap. She stood up, tucking the book under her arm as she brushed her hair behind her ear in such a way that hit Claudia as completely English. "Yes, dear. When I became a Warehouse agent again, you still did not trust me. I had hoped the bloody mess that became of the mission with my time machine had changed that."

Claudia nodded, moving aside from the doorway a little as H.G. walked towards it and her. "Oh, it did. I mean, we did. We're good. One hundred percent good. You and me?" She pointed at H.G. and then at herself in a quick motion of her wrist. "Regular old pals. Like Scooby and Shaggy. Batman and Robin. Buffy and Willow." Getting a measured look and raised eyebrow from the woman in front of her, Claudia pushed forward, "…Holmes and Watson? Total buds. Who solve mysteries and fight evil baddies together. Warehouse mysteries and… Artifact baddies? – Ugh, shutting up now." She abruptly closed her mouth.

H.G. chuckled smoothly, patting Claudia's arm reassuringly, "Aren't you a darling?" Then, tilting her head and leaning forward, her dark eyes studied Claudia's face. "Claudia, seeing as we're such good friends now, do you think," she breathed, righting herself, smiling enigmatically, "That you could do something for me?"

"What?"

"A favor. Nothing too strenuous." H.G. looked down dismissively, her smile now a bit more modest.

Claudia's eyes widened. She wasn't sure she really believed that it was 'nothing too strenuous'. Still, she chose to take the high road. "It really depends on what you want. Computer stuff, I'm there. Donating a kidney, not so much."

"If it was reasonable?"

Claudia thought for a second, then nodded. At the satisfied smile that crossed H.G.'s face, she wondered what she had just signed on for.

"Then I shall hold you to that at a later date. Have a good evening," H.G. stepped around Claudia and started down the hallway behind her, the book still tucked under her arm, turned so Claudia couldn't see the title.

"Wait!" Claudia called out, pushing her hands on the sides of the doorway.

H.G. paused and turned back, one corner of her mouth turned up again, "Yes?"

"I get something in return, right?"

"Of course."

When Claudia didn't respond, H.G. nodded, "Good night, Claudia." She turned a corner and disappeared.

Claudia blew air out of her mouth, slumping against the wall just inside the library. It was dang annoying how easily H.G. had just played her. "Let's just hope it's nothing too important," she murmured to herself, then brightened, "But hey, this'll mean H.G.'ll owe me! Score!" She pumped her fist.

* * *

"Hey Myka?" Claudia rapped lightly on the open door to Myka's room, sticking her head in.

Myka glanced up from the laptop propped on her thighs. She was sitting on her bed and leaning back against the headboard, probably finishing up a report. "Yeah, Claudia? Come in. I'll just be a sec." Scrunching her eyebrows up a bit at the computer screen, she started rapidly typing again.

Claudia bobbed her head up and down and slipped into the room, closing the door behind her by habit. Noticing that Myka was already dressed for bed in a gray tank top and shorts, her dark curly brown hair up in a messy bun on the top of her head, Claudia took a seat on a chair opposite the bed, idly tapping her fingers on the tops of her legs. Her eyes roamed around the room aimlessly.

"Alright, done." Pushing her laptop off her lap and scooting over to the side of the bed to swing her feet down to the floor, Myka closed her computer. She looked at Claudia expectantly.

"…Oh! Yeah." Claudia scratched the side of her head, squinting her eyes a little. "Say… Can I talk to you about something?"

Myka shrugged her shoulders lightly, looking to the left and sliding her gaze back to Claudia, a smile beginning to form on her mouth, "If I can help, sure." Obviously, it meant something to her that Claudia wanted her advice.

"Okay, good. Thanks. I didn't think you wouldn't… But thanks."

"Of course." Myka nodded.

"So…" Claudia drew out the vowel, crossing her legs and lacing her hands together to cup her upper knee. "I… Kind of… Have this problem." Claudia made a face, "And I need your advice how to deal with it."

Myka furrowed her brow, looking a little confused. "Claud," she prompted, "I'm gonna need more information than that."

"Uggghhh!" Claudia threw her hands up in the air. "I don't _have _much more information than that! It's all… Unknown possibilities. I promised to do something, but I don't know what that something is."

"Please tell me it's not for Pete. I do _not _want a repeat of the Girl Scout cookies incident."

"No-o-ho-oh!" Claudia shook her head, "I learned my lesson there, yessiree. No… It's, ah…" Claudia shut one eye and braced herself for an outburst, rattling off quickly, "It'sforH.G."

A sudden transformation flowed across Myka's face, and she sat back, freezing, then continuing the motion. "H…. G.?" One of her eyebrows went up, the other down. She pursed her lips, then grabbed a Twizzler from the open pack on her nightstand. She chewed on it thoughtfully, sitting forward again. "Uhm, okay. H.G. And she didn't say what it was?"

Claudia, who had been watching in silent wonder at all of the emotions that had crossed Myka's face, shook her head. "Not really. See, that's the thing. I kind of feel like she…" A firm knock on the door to Myka's room cut her off. "…Played me a bit?" Claudia looked at the door, then at Myka, and back at the door, then back to Myka again.

"Of course. Sorry, Claudia, hold that thought, okay?" Myka rose from the bed, finished stuffing the Twizzler in her mouth, and strode over to the door. Opening it, Claudia saw an almost deer-in-the-headlights look on Myka's face, and the woman swallowed noisily. "Helena! What a…" Myka took a step backwards in an inviting motion, then glanced at Claudia, smiling wryly as she looked back at H.G., who took a step forward into the room, "…Nice surprise. Is there anything I can, uh, do for you?"

"I do apologize for this intrusion, Myka." H.G. walked past the open door and smiled at Claudia, not looking the least bit surprised that she was there. Claudia mouthed a 'hey' and waved her hand, feeling a little like she was caught red-handed. Of course H.G. would have known she was there; the Englishwoman was ninja like that.

"It's okay," Myka replied, shutting the door behind her.

"Ahh, did I interrupt a 'slumber party'? What fun!" H.G. walked over to take a seat on the end of Myka's bed, looking expectantly at Myka and Claudia, "We didn't have such things back in my day. Probably not proper, which I think absolute rubbish."

Myka seemed stunned that H.G. had so easily sat down on her bed, but she blinked, shook herself slightly, and then walked around to take a seat for herself. It wasn't too close to H.G., but it wasn't too far either. Claudia leaned forward minutely in her chair, studying the two women. There was something going on between Myka and H.G., she just knew it.

"Ah, Helena, Claudia and I aren't having a slumber party. We were just talking."

"Oh?" H.G. frowned slightly, looking disappointed. "I see. That's what I get for assuming, I suppose."

Myka worried her lower lip lightly, "Yeah."

Claudia looked quickly back and forth between the two women again. Myka was fidgeting with her hands, her eyes seemingly stuck in a loop of studying H.G. and looking down at her bed. H.G., meanwhile, was gazing around Myka's room, a closed off expression on her face. Claudia started to feel itchy, like she was intruding on something.

"Well!" she said loudly, standing up from her seat, garnering two startled looks from Myka and H.G. "I think I'll go find Pete and challenge him to a game. So you two," Claudia poked her pointer fingers together, then spread out her hands to encompass both women, "Can talk about whatever it is you wanted to talk about. I'll wait for another time."

"Wait – Claud – " Myka couldn't seem to get what she wanted out, eyes wide as she shook her head back and forth behind H.G., who couldn't see her.

Claudia clapped her hands in front of her face, bowing her head apologetically – though she didn't feel sorry in the least, "Sorry, but the game's afoot. I need to go make sure I'll get the characters I want." She twirled her left hand in the air, motioning at the door, feeling for the doorknob behind her with her right. Grasping it, she turned it quickly, quipped out, "Laters!" and ran from the room, answering Myka's swift self-composed question of what game she was going to play with a "Doesn't matter!"


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: This chapter was very, very draining to write.

* * *

It turned out that Pete had already left the Bed and Breakfast for Kelly's house, and since she wasn't in the mood for solo play, Claudia found herself sitting alone in the kitchen on one of the counters, staring at the refrigerator. She felt a little guilty about ditching Myka and leaving her in the clutches of H.G., but Myka was a big girl and could handle it. After all, it wasn't like H.G. was dangerous.

Well, okay. Claudia's eyes narrowed as she remembered the conversation she had had with H.G. while Myka and Pete's minds were in 1961. Yes, H.G. was a dangerous woman, and certainly had the means to do something if she wanted to, but instances of H.G. exercising that side of her seemed to be predicated by something that, on paper, looked noble. And even though it still made Claudia uncomfortable that H.G. had so easily killed MacPherson, that didn't mean she hadn't come to trust H.G., somewhat.

A soft clattering noise behind and to the right of her made Claudia aware that someone had entered the kitchen. Drawing her shoulders up slightly, she didn't break her stare from the refrigerator door. She was too close to figuring out how many sentences she could make out of the random jumble of magnetic poetry pieces.

A rattle, the opening and closing of a cupboard door, and H.G. set down an empty mug next to Claudia's thigh, one of her fingers crooked around the handle of a mug for herself, another set on the counter near the stove. Claudia shifted her eyes to look at H.G. and gave her a firm nod, lips thinned and eyebrows lowered. It was hard business, coming up with sentences. It probably would have been easier if she had grabbed her guitar from her room and strummed lightly, now that she thought of it.

"You are a cruel young woman," H.G. said with no hint of derision in her voice. Her words sounded loud in the kitchen that had only moments ago been filled with the quiet hum of appliances and electricity and Claudia's breathing. H.G. then walked around her to start filling the tea kettle with water. However, in opposition to her words, she glanced back and smiled at Claudia. "But then, the assigning of blame should be decided with eyes wide open."

"Huh?" Claudia sat up straight, focusing her whole attention onto H.G. She frowned. "That… Came from nowhere. Should I be insulted? I'm insulted."

H.G. hummed, then tilted her head away from Claudia, looking up at the ceiling. "You, darling, for which I am ever so grateful, understand that which goes unsaid. Those who do not understand, grow impatient. I'm afraid I have grown impatient."

Oh… Kay. Claudia knew a confused expression had settled onto her face because she could feel it there. One of her eyebrows went up, along with her chin, and she nodded slowly as she tried to figure out what, exactly, H.G. had just said. No, she got nothin'.

So, time to change topics. "Say, H.G.," she pushed her palms against the counter and jumped down, fixing her bunched vest and shirt by pulling on them. Shoving her hands into her vest pockets, Claudia hummed and twisted to the right and back, "You… Want to tell me what the favor's gonna be?"

H.G. smirked down at the water, not bothering to look up, no sign of her earlier melancholy. "Patience, dear."

"H.G., come _on_! I'm dying of curiosity, here!"

If anything, H.G.'s smirk grew wider, and she turned to face Claudia fully, propping her hip against the counter. Turning off the water and letting go of the kettle, she crossed her arms, looking much too amused. "Have you thought about what you want from me?"

"That's not answering the question, buster!" Claudia narrowed her eyes. "And no, no I haven't. Doesn't mean I won't think of something, though! And it will be," she lowered her voice, unconsciously widening her stance and squaring her shoulders, "Epic."

One of H.G.'s eyebrows arched, her dark eyes dancing. She nodded, dipping her head in an acknowledging bow, her smile tugging the corners of her lips up again, "I'm looking forward to whatever you come up with, I'm sure. Now, be a dear and bring me the box of tea."

Claudia blinked. "Tea," she muttered, then muttered again, "Tea. Ohh-kay." She turned on a dime and headed to the pantry. "How many tea bags do you want?" she called over her shoulder, pushing boxes here and there. Pete must have been the one to put the tea away last, because she wasn't having any luck finding it. "And do you have a preference as to what kind?"

"Preference?" Claudia heard H.G. repeat, her accent thickening. "Of _course _I have a preference. Tea's not just tea, Claudia." She sounded scandalized.

"Okay?"

"If there's one thing I don't understand about you Americans, it's how you have no understanding of the _simplest _of things."

"Hey!" Claudia stood up straight and turned around. "I resent that."

H.G. nodded, shifting onto her other foot as she turned on the stove and placed the kettle onto the burner, setting her palms onto the counter and half turning to look at Claudia, dipping her head and lowering her eyes. "You're right, I apologize. Not e_very _American is a simpleton. But you cannot deny the high number of them."

Claudia shook her head, making a perplexed expression, "That's no better than what you said before." She rubbed the back of her head, looking at H.G. from the corner of her eye, trying to come up with a response. She briefly wondered, also, if she was prepared to get into the sort of discussion with H.G. and hold her own while doing so.

"Claudia," H.G. straightened so her back was to the stove, "You cannot tell me that you do not see what your country has become in the past hundred years."

"_My_ countr – What about _your_ – No," Claudia waved off that outburst, trying to smooth things over, "That doesn't matter. Did you forget that you are now a citizen of my country?" She tried to soften the way she said 'my', but wasn't quite sure she had succeeded in doing so.

H.G. looked like that was a total surprise to her. "I," she paused, looked down and frowned, then looked back at Claudia, shaking her head, "I am?"

"You were reinstated as a Warehouse agent, weren't you?"

"Well, yes, but I don't see what that has to do with anythi –"

Claudia snapped her finger then drew her hands together before pulling them apart to look like she was holding an invisible box between them. Speaking slowly, she moved her hands to the right of her, "Warehouse 13." Then, lifting them up and moving them to the left of her, she said, "Secret Service." Then, making sure she still had H.G.'s attention with a quick glance up, she smushed the invisible box and drew her hands apart. Bringing up her right hand, she nodded at it, "Warehouse 13 agent," and put it where her invisible Warehouse 13 had been. Holding up her left hand, she did the same as before, but with, "Secret Service agent," and put it down where the Secret Service building had been.

"Okay, this is the important part," Claudia put an intense look on her face, making her voice sound deep and official, "You better watch closely. You see…" She lifted both hands, looking back and forth between them and H.G. "Warehouse 13 agent," she wiggled her right hand, "And Secret Service agent," she wriggled her left, "Are one and the same!" With a 'whoosh' and 'kapow!' she slapped her hands together and made them 'blow up'.

H.G. looked pointedly at Claudia with one eyebrow raised, an inscrutable look on her face. "Well," she smoothed down the sleeves of her white shirt, looking down and away and then back to Claudia with a quick smile and nod, "That was… Riveting, dear, but I'm afraid to say I still don't see how I am suddenly an American citizen."

"H.G., members of the Secret Service have to be U.S. citizens." Claudia was put out that she had to explain that much, but had quickly realized that repeating the scenario with Secret Service agent and U.S. citizen would be needless repetition. Still, she almost wished she had, as making believe things were blowing up was fun. If Pete were here, they'd have an explosion face off.

H.G. paused, cocking her head. "There _were _some odd questions the Regents asked me," she admitted, "But I quickly dismissed them. Oh? Oh. Oh, now I see why I was given a Social Security card." She slid her gaze over to Claudia's face, "That is what it's called, dear? Social Security?" At Claudia's nod, H.G. put her right hand on her hip and brought her left up, starting to play with her ring. "Hmmm. I suppose I was too excited to get reinstated that I didn't pay as much attention as I should have." H.G.'s voice sounded lost in thought.

"Well, we Americans can't be too bad now, right?" Claudia said supportively, shrugging and grinning, "Since you're now one of us and all. Would you like a feather for your cap and call it macaroni?"

"Ohh." H.G. buried her head in hands and groaned, laughing in such a way that it almost sounded painful. "Claudia, dear, I am _not _a doodle, as I have already stated. It is the rest of the American citizens who are fools and simpletons."

"Look, normally I would agree with you," Claudia felt the need to say, shrugging a little, "A lot of Americans are idiots. But I'm disagreeing now because… Why _are _you disagreeing, Claudia? Okay, let's try that again: I am disagreeing now on principle. I'm sure there are idiotic English people too." She looked at H.G., daring her to refute her claim. However, when H.G. opened her mouth to respond, Claudia spoke over her, "Oh, you know there are. Don't even try to deny it," and H.G. shut her mouth.

"Alright," H.G. started after a few seconds pause to see if Claudia was going to speak again, nodding her head slightly, "I'll give you that."

Claudia mimicked the Final Fantasy victory music. Faint whistling coming from the tea kettle served as a background instrument, and Claudia realized she still hadn't found the box of tea. "Oh, frack!" she exclaimed, turning around to dive into the pantry and search for the tea in double time, "I'll find it, I swear!"

Finally – _finally _– Claudia found the box hidden behind an empty tin of butter cookies. "Ahah!" she cried out, holding the box up triumphantly, shaking it, "I have found you! Did you think you could hide from me forever, little ones?"

Nothing moved.

Face dropping, Claudia shook the box again. "Ehmm… H.G…" She opened the lid, blanching at what she saw inside.

"Yes?"

"It's not my fault!" Claudia exclaimed, spinning around and presenting the empty box, clamping her eyes shut and hiding her head against her left shoulder.

Silence greeted her, and Claudia heard H.G. sigh. "Of course," H.G. muttered, voice low, frustration edging in, "It seems I am destined to not have tea, either. What else shall be taken from me?"

"That seems a little drastic," Claudia opened her eyes, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm sorry about the tea, but if you still want a warm drink we have hot chocolate; always good." Claudia nodded, smiling widely and adopting a cajoling tone, bringing up her hands to accentuate her light teasing, "Hey! And we even have those small marshmallows… Even better! I had to find a hiding place so Pete couldn't find them, but I'm sure they're still there. So? What do you say, H.G.? You feelin' like some hot chocolate? Come on…" She gave H.G. a toothy grin, "All the cool kids are doing it."

"No," H.G. frowned at her, her eyebrows drawing together, her eyes narrowing, "I do not want for 'hot chocolate'. I bloody well wanted tea!" She threw her hands into the air, narrowly missing hitting the counter, then turned and sat back heavily against it, making the three mugs wobble a little where she nudged them. One hand went to her face, her body language suddenly becoming tense and tight.

Claudia started to realize that there was something else going on here. However, with what little information she had, she decided to forge ahead with what she did know, "Well, I'm sure Leena will go into town tomorrow to get some if we put it on the grocery list and I'm sure she'd even let you tag along if you wanted to – eep!" Claudia shut her mouth, shocked by the glare H.G. leveled at her. _Man_, that woman was scary when she wanted to be!

"Okay, sensing some major bad vibes in here," Claudia started edging away, setting the empty tea box down onto the counter near the pantry. She raised her hands, palms out. "And me and bad vibes? We don't get along. I'm more a Zen type of girl." She nodded her head, "Soooo Zen."

"Oh, aren't you insufferably adorable," H.G. muttered, her voice slightly muffled by her hand.

"Do you mean that as both a compliment and insult?" Claudia replied, genuinely curious, "Because I gotta hand it to you – it works both ways surprisingly well." She considered it a small victory when H.G. didn't immediately snap something back at her.

"Claudia…" H.G. rubbed at her face with her hand, her voice suddenly tight and very, very agitated. She cut off whatever she was going to say, looking away, her jaw clenching.

Suddenly, H.G. pushed herself up, spinning around in an angry motion. Sweeping up the three mugs, she walked over to shove them back into the cupboard, almost slamming the door closed. The release of energy seemed to do something for her. She dropped her hands to the counter, hanging her head down, dark hair falling around her.

It was only when Claudia realized that H.G.'s body was trembling, painful energy washing off of her in waves that she knew H.G.'s anger hadn't died down in the least. It was still growing. Claudia swallowed, sudden clarity coming to her. She knew the explosion would be big, and inevitable. And she would be caught in the crossfire. Body on autopilot, she shifted herself into a defensive position.

Claudia had wondered how H.G. always seemed so calm, seemingly not affected by her 120 year imprisonment and subsequent displacement. She wondered how H.G. had dealt with the emotional and mental turmoil. And now the answer was uncomfortably clear: she hadn't.

But she hid that fact well. Though unable to hide the loss of her daughter, H.G. had closed the door to her other emotions. She rarely spoke about her past, rarely showed herself as anything other than capable, self assured at all times. She threw herself into this task of subterfuge, Claudia realized, because no one bothered to ask her how she was doing.

And H.G. was too good at hiding. Anger and frustration had built up and built up and built up behind the mask of practiced misdirection she wore, _and no one knew_.

That kind of suppression came with serious fallout when it broke. And at this moment, the precarious control H.G. had over her pain and hurt wasn't strong enough. Just enough stress had finally tipped the scales. _Just_ enough.

It was painful to see.

Claudia stared at H.G.'s hunched body. Oh man, was she jumping into shark infested water for doing what she was thinking about doing? But H.G. looked so heartbreaking Claudia couldn't just _leave_ her. She'd never forgive herself. She took a deep breath in through her nose and let it out of her mouth slowly, like she was always told to do when she was supposed to be calming down.

When she felt composed enough to convince herself that H.G. wouldn't kill her for speaking, she took a timid step forward before rethinking that decision and halted. "…This isn't about tea, is it?" When H.G. didn't respond, she tried again, "I know I'm not the best person to talk to – I mean no one ever says 'Hey, there's Claudia! She's the one I go to for advice,' but I'm pretty good at listening. So you could talk, and I could… You know… Listen."

Again, H.G. was silent.

Claudia dropped her head back, staring at the ceiling. Okay, she'd try once more. After that, it was all H.G.'s responsibility. "H.G. I think you want to talk. See, I'm here. You'd have left long before if you wanted to be alone. So…" Claudia 'hmmed', shifting on her feet back and forth, fighting the urge to fidget. Instead, she put a half-smile on her face, looking at H.G., "Lay it on me."

That was apparently the wrong thing to say.

H.G. slammed her palms down onto the counter so violently that it made Claudia jump. "You understand _nothing_," she shouted, her body snapping up. It was such a departure from the ice cold anger and restrained rage H.G. had shown before that, while Claudia had been expecting an explosion, she was still caught off guard. "Why do you casually offer confidence when you do not want to hear the answer? I receive enough false platitudes from the others." H.G. curled her hands into fists, hands shaking on the counter. She took a deep breath, her eyes glittering, voice full of dark conviction. "Do not add your name to the list of those who pretend to care. It is foolish pride that makes you think you do!"

Claudia retorted with the first thing that came to her, her rebuffed good intentions easily transforming into defensiveness, "Hey! Mondo overreaction, She-Hulk! If you're so sure about me – _us_ – not understanding, not caring, then _tell_ _me_ about you, H.G. _Make_ _me_ _care_." Her shoulders tensed, arms stiffening at her sides. There was too much energy building in the room.

"_Make_ you care?" H.G. parroted, an almost dangerous expression crossing her face. She shook her head, dark eyes made darker with passion as she studied Claudia. "Why should I have to _make _you care?" Her eyes narrowed, a calculating look sliding onto her face. "What do you see when you look at me, Claudia?" she asked, "_Who _do you see?"

Claudia took a step back, hitting the counter. H.G.'s face was a combination of dwindling forced calm and uncomfortably growing violent frustration. It was such an unsettling look that Claudia actually felt alarmed, apprehension spreading through her body.

H.G. smiled sarcastically, sharp lines pulling her lips up. "The body does not lie."

"Hey, that's not fair!" Claudia protested, "You're being – you're angry and intense and you're – you're not letting me –"

"There is another thing I know you see when you look at me." H.G. seemed to back peddle mentally somewhat, ignoring Claudia's outburst, "You don't know what to do with me." H.G. gestured mockingly at Claudia, pressed back against the counter. "You don't know how to react. I am an unknown, narrow minded and dated, almost certainly disturbed.

"But what do you expect of me – what do you desire?" H.G. threw out her hands, mouth pinching as if she dared Claudia to answer, "Do you expect me to be _comfortable_? So easily slipped into this life like those around you?"

H.G. shook her head, her face softening minutely. "I am different than you, Claudia. I was not raised in the same world you were. _My_ world was ruled by propriety. Each person, each class, each sex – from an early age we were taught how to be." Distaste with an edge of yearning she couldn't hide poured out of her mouth, her features hardening. "There were few ways to rebel, and you can be assured I exploited them all. I was a pioneer, an activist, a _Warehouse agent_. I did my _damnedest_ to rise above the distasteful apathy of my peers – but that is not enough for _this_ world, I see." H.G.'s voice was low and cold now, the muscles in her jaw and neck jumping. "Though I was a stranger in my world by the very definition of being ahead of my time, I am a stranger here for being too far in the past. I cannot win." It wasn't clear if H.G. was talking to just Claudia now, or envisioning all of Warehouse 13 as her audience.

H.G. shoved her hair back roughly, looking away, seemingly staring into her own head. When she spoke again, her voice was quieter, more controlled, but no less seething with resentment. "And yet the society I see around me has failed on a scale I could not have – had not – ever anticipated. Be it only the country of my birth and the adopted country within which I now live that have fallen pray to the greedy indulgences of ignored flaws and hypocrisies – nay, they are encouraged! – it does not matter." H.G.'s whole body started to vibrate with repressed energy, her face full of heartbroken anguish. "This is not Utopia. This is not superior. This is not _progress_. This world is populated with people who are like caricatures of those I once knew. Nothing has changed. It is but a whisper, a drop of the deep ocean, _barely anything it once was._

"But I will not, _cannot_ leave. I shall not lie and say I am not stuck here. My original shackles may have been those I forged for myself, yes, but the ones that hold me now are more harshly binding. I _must_ make do. I am of another era and I only have what I know to carry me – and yet I am held to a higher standard. I had to _fight_ to get reinstated!" H.G.'s voice rose as her thoughts splintered off, moving faster than her mouth could. The muscles in her neck and face tightened.

She snapped her gaze back to Claudia, her voice throaty and full of outrage, her glare wet with unshed tears, "I had to _prove_ myself time and again. And I continue having to do so!" H.G.'s voice broke, and she lashed out, slamming the bottom of her fist into the counter. "No matter that I have saved your lives," she hissed, her body vibrating, "_More than once_. No matter that I have given so much of myself that I barely have anything left. That is not enough. _I_ am not enough.

"_And I do not know how to change this_."

In the sudden stillness that fell over the kitchen, H.G.'s ragged breathing gave way to shuddering, exhausted sobs that wracked her body. She collapsed into herself.

Claudia stared at H.G.

"I…" Claudia's voice disappeared. "I…" she tried again, feeling her fingers start to tingle, her chest tighten. "I… " Tears closed her throat.

She fled.

She shouldered past Leena as she ran down the hall, stumbling against her before mumbling an apology. She yanked her jacket off the rack, hand diving into the pocket to grab Artie's car keys. Jumping into the red car, she peeled out of the parking lot. She couldn't go to the hardware store because it was already after closing time, but the diner where she and Todd had their two first dates would be open. Even though he wouldn't be there, she could take some comfort from her memories. That was good.

And Claudia did not cry in public.


End file.
